Deerpark Diary

Town of Deerpark 1863 School House Museum Town of Deerpark Historian P.O. Box 621, Huguenot, NY 12746 845 856-2702 www.1863schoolhouse.org

June 2019 Vol. 16 No. 2

 Raid on Maghagamek The only serious resistance he encoun- tered was at the fortified Van Auken  Jos. Brant Bus Tour house, site of the present-day golf course.  Passport to History Today, a ride, along Neversink Drive  Artists’ Programs with its many historical markers, tells the story.

Although small comfort to the families decimated by the raiding party, the fact is our area got off lightly com- By Frank Salvati pared to other areas hit by Brant. Places like Cobleskill, German Flats, Stone Arabia and numerous other locales 240 years ago this summer, the Town suffered far worse. of Deerpark saw its most famous/ infamous visitor. In the town’s long- Joseph Brant went on to lead much storied history, the name of Joseph Brant larger numbers of and other is still kept current, thanks to numerous tribesman later in the war, achieving historical markers and through the efforts much success. of various local historical societies and historians. After the events of July 20th, in what is now Huguenot, Brant headed back North Brant’s visit, obviously, was not of a This brings us to his July 20, 1779 visit. to Indian Country. He was pursued by the friendly nature. He was a Mohawk, and It was actually his second foray into our militias of Orange, Ulster and Sussex like most of his tribe, was a firm ally of area, the first being nine months earlier. Counties. Great Britain. Brant viewed the Revolu- This July raid was far worse for the tionary War as a civil war among two inhabitants of the Peenpack area. Brant The two opposing forces clashed at groups of Englishmen living on opposite left his headquarters in the Indian town of Lackawaxen Ford in what is now known sides of the Atlantic Ocean. His Chemung, New York, present day as the . Even though allegiance to Britain was historical. For Elmira, with a mixed force of approxi- Brant was outnumbered, he inflicted a almost a hundred years the British Crown mately 80- 90 men: Indian and white devastating defeat upon our militiamen. had taken the Mohawks’ side in the volunteers. He had two motives for The events of that fateful day of July countless disputes over land issues with selecting the Minisink Region. Reason 20, 1779, will forever be remembered in the thirteen colonies. The Mohawk had number one was that his people back the Town of Deerpark, but to Joseph adopted many facets of English life, such home, desperately needed food (cattle), Brant it was nothing more than just as language, clothing, dress and religion. and secondly, because our area was a another day in the war. Brant himself had even studied to be a “nest of rebels.” He especially wanted to missionary in the Anglican Faith. In kill or capture Major Johannes Decker, a addition, the Mohawk, as well as almost noted rebel leader. all of the Six Nations of the Iroquois, were dependent on British manufactured On the day of July 20, 1779, Brant’s goods of every sort. men attacked. By the close of the day he had destroyed numerous farms, a school, So when war broke out in 1775, a church and other buildings. His men Joseph Brant was eager to make war on killed and scalped four men. They cap- the enemies of King George III. tured three prisoners and took as much plunder as they could carry on horseback. Follow us at Deerpark Museum Sparrowbush, NY. A picnic lunch will be served at the end of the tour at the Sparrowbush Memorial Park.

All participants will meet at 7:45 a.m. There will be free coffee and snacks available before the bus leaves promptly at 8:00 a.m. The cost is $10.00 for adults, and $5.00 for children under 12. Reserva- tions forms are available at Deerpark Town Hall, at the Town Museum, or on A Duck Fandango the website www.1863schoolhouse.org. Tickets will be sent to registrants in the Tri-State Union beginning of July. Tickets are necessary Dec. 19, 1907 because space is limited. For additional information call 845-856-2702, “The blizzard of Saturday reminded 845-754-8070 or 845-856-4515. Walt Tisdell of a hunting fandango in [email protected] which he figured some years ago. He was starting out to kill some birds, when he discovered that he had no shot. At first he did not know what to do, but finally he thought of a lot of carpet tacks which his Art Workshops & wife had bought a few days before. Unbe- Demonstrations knownst to her, he pocketed the tacks and Indian Raid Bus Tour started bird-landward. He tramped up to Mongaup, and about noon he scared up a On Saturday, July 20, 2019, the The Deerpark Museum will be hosting big flock of wild ducks. The ducks rose Deerpark Museum Committee will hold a series of programs this coming year. from the river and steered for the barn on its eighth Brant Raid Bus Tour in the This project is made possible, in part, the Knight place. Walt sneaked close to Town of Deerpark to commemorate the with funds from Orange County Tourism the barn, shinned up a tall tree, and got a 240th Anniversary of Joseph Brant's raid and the County of Orange. Local artist fair squareshot at the quackers as they sat on the lower neighborhood. Committee and teacher, Susan Miiller, received this on the roof, gossiping in duck fashion. members, dressed in period costume, will grant and put together this series of He fired both barrels, and was astonished guide a tour along the route Mohawk demonstrations and workshops. She has to see that not a duck flew away. He Indian and British Loyalist, Joseph Brant, gathered fellow artists from the River quickly concluded that the carpet tacks and his Tories took when they attacked Valley Artists Guild to show off their had tacked the ducks to the roof, and he settlements in our valley on July 20, various techniques in their particular started to capture them. He got a ladder, 1779. Frank Salvati provides extensive areas of expertise. All of these programs but as he was putting it up, the ducks background information about Joseph are free and open to the public. Free began to struggle. Pretty soon they Brant. supplies will be available for workshop flapped their wings together, and rose, sessions. Refreshments included. carrying with them the roof. They sailed The tour, which takes about two away up the Delaware. Walt meandered hours, travels along Peenpack Trail, and See the attached schedule. back to the Bush via the towpath. When Neversink Drive in the Town of he got to Bolton Basin, he saw a raft Deerpark. Decker’s Stockade Fort, coming down the Delaware, and Solomon Davis Grist Mill, Black Rock discovered that it was the barn roof and School, Van Auken Fort, and Solomon ducks fast to it. He rushed to the eddy Kuykendall Fort are among some of the below No.2 bridge, got a boat and made locations attacked on this part of the ready to capture the roof and the ducks. route. The tour continues into Port Jervis As the roof passed under the bridge, a where Brant had burned the westbound coal train, drawn by Locomo- Maghagkemik Church, Peter Kuyken- tive 4-11-44, stoked by Fireman Sam dall's Tavern and . There will Wilson, dropped a ton of red hot coals be an opportunity to visit the old upon the craft and set it afire. Walt man- Maghagkemik Cemetery where the Old Tyme Remedy aged to strand the burning craft, but by church was located and where Revolu- the time he got the flames put out, the tionary War soldiers Martinus Decker ducks, 79 in all, were thoroughly roasted. and Simon Westfall are buried. The tour “For all sortes of agewes, pare the pa- He toted them home and had a roast duck ends with a visit at Fort Decker in West tient’s nayles when the fever is coming blowout for the next week. Mr. Knight End conducted by members of the Minis- on, and put the parings into a little bag of never knew what went with his barn roof, ink Valley Historical Society. linen, and tye that about a live eele’s and Walt’s wife bragged to the end of her necke in a tubbe of water. The eele will days about what a star hunter Walt was.” The tour starts and ends at the dye and the patient will recover Sparrowbush Fire House, Main Street, Summer Program for 2019 Finale Celebration!

June 1st—September 29th An Afternoon with the Little Big Band Passport to Local History Swing time Music Sponsored By Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019 The Deerpark Heritage Fund 3-5pm A Component of the At the Elks Club Community Foundation of Route 6, Port Jervis, NY Orange and Sullivan Counties

Celebration of Local Historical Sites:

Town of Deerpark Museum

Matamoras/Westfall Historical Society

Minisink Valley Historical Society

Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History Dancing and Light Refreshments Free to Completed Mount Hope Historical Society Passport to Local History Participants

Neversink Valley Museum of ************** History & Innovation *****

Evening Gazette 2 September, 1878

Visit one of the above sites, to register and receive your passport. Each time you visit a site, get your passport stamped. Five (5) stamps will qualify you for Free admission to the Finale Celebration 2019 Program Schedule Deerpark Museum 25 Grange Rd., Huguenot, NY 12746 www.1863schoolhouse.org

Saturday - June 15 - 10 to 4 Art in the Park— Port Jervis, NY Historic Orange Square, Veterans Memorial Park

Sunday - June 23 - 3PM George Centimore Airbrush Demonstration

Saturday-July 20-7:45AM Joseph Brant Bus Tour Meets at Sparrowbush Fire House Main St. Sparrowbush, NY Pre-Registration Required

Sunday-July 23– 3PM Al Champy Watercolor Demonstration

Sunday—August 18—3PM Jane Brennan Inks Demonstration

Sunday—September 15—3PM Joe Petrosi Color Pencil Workshop

Saturday—October 5, 3-5PM Passport to History –Finale Program Elks Club, Route 6, Port Jervis NY

Sunday—October 20– 3PM Alyta Adams Collage Workshop